Sentry‑Six is a modern, feature‑rich viewer and exporter for your Tesla Sentry and Dashcam footage now rewritten in Electron for smoother UI, better multi‑camera sync, and faster exports. It is a ground‑up rewrite in Electron that preserves the core experience while significantly improving performance, reliability, and packaging. rewritten with the help of AI gemini, gpt, and Claud code.
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- Smooth, stutter‑free UI during playback and timeline scrubbing
- Accurate 6‑camera synchronization (front, back, left/right repeaters, pillars)
- Bundled FFmpeg with automatic detection (no manual install)
- Hardware acceleration support when available (NVENC, AMF, QSV, VideoToolbox)
- Visual export workflow with custom camera layouts and live estimates
- Timelapse exports with speed controls (e.g., 4x → 1200x)
- Timestamp overlays with configurable position
- Robust timeline engine with event markers and debugging tools
- Cross‑platform packaging (Windows/macOS/Linux installers)
- Synchronized 6‑Camera Playback: Front, Back, Left/Right Repeaters, Left/Right Pillars all kept in sync by a refined timing model.
- Interactive Event Markers: Icons for Sentry, Honk, and User‑saved events on the timeline.
- 🖱️ Click to Seek: Instantly jump to any event; Sentry/User events jump ~10 seconds prior for context.
- 🖼️ Hover to Preview: Preview via
thumb.pngand event reason.
- Visual Clip Exporting:
- 🚩 Start/End Markers directly on the timeline for frame‑tight trimming.
- 🧩 Custom Camera Layouts: Arrange cameras freely before export.
- ⚡ Hardware Acceleration: Enables GPU encoding when supported.
- ⏱️ Live Estimates: See export progress, duration, and size predictions.
- Advanced Playback Controls:
- Variable Speed: 0.1x–4x
- Frame‑by‑Frame, 15‑Second Skip, Volume Control
- Camera Visibility Panel: Toggle any camera on/off instantly
- Timelapse & Timestamp Overlay:
- Timelapse speeds from 4x up to 1200x
- Overlay timestamp at bottom/top left/center/right
- Debug & Diagnostics:
- Built‑in Timeline Debug Panel (gap detection, missing camera data, file size anomalies)
- Export terminal logs for support
| Feature | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| All Camera View | |
| Folder Selection |  |
| Event Markers & Tooltip |  |
| Draggable Export Markers |  |
| Export settings |  |
- Node.js 18+
- Windows/macOS/Linux
- FFmpeg is bundled with the app; no system install required
npm install
npm start- Development:
npm run dev - Build installers:
npm run dist(outputs torelease/)
- Download the latest installer from the Releases page.
- Run the installer. No Python or system FFmpeg required.
- (Optional) Pin the app to your taskbar.
- Use the in‑app update button to check for updates.
FFmpeg is bundled under the app’s ffmpeg_bin/ directory and used automatically. The app falls back to system FFmpeg if needed. No PATH setup required.
- Launch the application.
- Click “Open Folder” and select your
TeslaCamfolder containingSavedClips/,SentryClips/, orRecentClips/. - Select a date/event; clips are grouped automatically.
- Use playback controls and the timeline to browse footage; all visible cameras remain in sync.
- To export:
- Set the Start and End markers on the timeline.
- Optionally arrange a Custom Camera Layout.
- Choose Quality (Full/Mobile), Hardware Acceleration, Timelapse, and Timestamp Overlay.
- Click Export and monitor progress.
| Area | Python (Old) | Electron (New) |
|---|---|---|
| UI Responsiveness | Occasional 1–3s UI freezes during heavy operations | Smooth scrubbing and playback, non‑blocking UI |
| Multi‑Camera Sync | Good, but inconsistent under load | Refined timing model with HTML5 video for consistent alignment |
| Exports | CPU‑heavy, limited GPU use | GPU encoding when available (NVENC/AMF/QSV/VideoToolbox) |
| FFmpeg Handling | External/system dependency | Bundled FFmpeg with automatic detection |
| Packaging | Platform‑specific hurdles | One‑command builds for Win/macOS/Linux |
| Debugging | Limited built‑in diagnostics | Timeline Debug Panel, terminal log export |
For the original Python version and history, see the repository on GitHub: Sentry‑Six (Python).
- If FFmpeg isn’t detected, ensure platform‑appropriate binaries are present in
ffmpeg_bin/(Windows:ffmpeg.exe,ffprobe.exe; macOS:ffmpeg_bin/mac/). - If videos don’t load, verify your Tesla folder structure and that files are
.mp4. - On Windows, the app icon is
assets/Sentry_six.ico.
- Short exports and camera sync: Very short clips can show minor desync between cameras because Tesla records each camera as a separate file that may start a fraction of a second apart. Workarounds: export a slightly longer range and trim afterward, or include an extra second at the start.
- Network shares (NAS): Loading and exporting from network-attached storage can be unreliable due to latency and file locking on SMB/NFS. For best results, copy clips to a local SSD/HDD or plug the drive in via USB before loading.
- Slow date load on large folders: When you click a date, the app parses all clips to build an accurate timeline. Very large folders will take longer. Tips: archive or move old dates you do not review often, keep clips on a fast SSD, and limit the folder to specific days.
This project is actively developed. Here are some ideas for the future:
- Display GPS data from
event.jsonon a map widget. - Option to burn‑in camera name labels (e.g., "Front", "Left Repeater") on exported videos.
- Support for exporting clips as GIFs or image sequences.
- Drag‑and‑drop support for clip folders.
- Add Model Y (Juniper) front bumper camera support if/when it’s used for Sentry/Dashcam.
Contributions are welcome! Whether it's reporting a bug, suggesting a feature, or writing code, your help is appreciated. Please feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request on the project's GitHub repository.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- Original Concept & Code: ChadR23
- Electron Rewrite & Enhancements: Sentry‑Six Team (with AI assistance)
- Remaster & Feature Development: A collaborative effort between Scott and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro AI.
